US STOCKS-Futures slip ahead of March payrolls data

April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures started the
second quarter on a gloomy note on Friday, ahead of a crucial
non-farm payrolls report that will give investors a clearer
reading on the economy.

* The Labor Department's report, due at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230
GMT), is expected to show that employers added 205,000 jobs in
March, less than the 242,000 added in February. Unemployment is
expected to remain at an eight-year low of 4.9 percent.

* Investors will parse the data to see if a recovery in the
U.S. labor market and the economy can be sustained amid a global
turmoil that has roiled financial markets.

* A separate report at 10 a.m. on Friday is expected to show
the Institute for Supply Management's national manufacturing
index rose to 50.7 in March from 49.5 the previous month.

* Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen this week urged caution
on raising interest rates, given the global risks to the U.S.
economy and low oil prices.